The fifteen full moons hung high in the sky, their glow surrounded by numerous stars forming the celestial twelve houses.

Under the Jiuyue Mountain of Nanhua Continent in the Tianshang World.

Ye Qing was staring at the towering mountain before him, his eyes filled with determination. As an outer disciple of the Nine Shall Pass Sect, Ye Qing once shone brightly. But now, he had become the most notorious waste in the Seventh Shall Pass Sect.

His refusal to accept this fate drove Ye Qing to train relentlessly, day and night. He yearned to regain his lost glory. Yet, his efforts seemed in vain. No matter how hard he trained, he couldn't find the strength he once had.

"Why!" Underneath a tree, its bark battered by numerous punches, Ye Qing continued striking with his fists. He punched the tree with all his strength, hoping to regain the feeling of his past glory.

Ten punches, a hundred punches, a thousand punches. Each punch drained him of his energy. Gradually, blood began staining his fists. Although he was used to this level of pain, it still hurt. However, this pain was much lighter than the humiliation he suffered today.

This morning, his beloved junior martial sister, whom he always took care of, called him a waste. The fact that he was once the top disciple of the Seventh Shall Pass Sect was now a cause of disdain for his once-admiring junior martial sister. This ignited a spark of defiance in Ye Qing’s once apathetic heart.

"My fists hurt!" As he vented his anger, the frustration in his heart subsided significantly. When he looked at his bloody fists, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"I have complete comprehension of the Nine Dragon Fist of the Seventh Shall Pass Sect. But why can't I generate my own true essence? If a martial artist doesn't have true essence, he can't be considered a real martial artist." Ye Qing was unsure of where he went wrong. For seven years, he had been following the Nine Heavens True Secret passed down from the Sect. Why was it that his martial skills improved, and he comprehended the martial way so thoroughly, yet he made no progress in the Nine Heavens True Secret?

Because of this, Ye Qing managed to get an edge through his deep understanding of martial arts for the first three years, becoming the brightest new star in the outer sect of Seventh Shall Pass Sect.

But three years later, every disciple of the Seventh Shall Pass Sect Outer Court had successfully cultivated the first layer of Nine Heavens True Secret, except for Ye Qing. He could not even feel a wisp of Qi.

The gap between those martial artists who have cultivated their Qi and those who haven’t is enormous. The Martial World was divided into nine levels, each level had three realms; strengthening the physique, storing Qi, and meridian rushing. Cultivating the Nine Heavens True Secret to perfection could only get one to level three. The first level of the Nine Heavens True Secret connected with strengthening the physique realm.

True Qi could provide martial artists more strength than ordinary people. A martial artist who reached the first realm of the martial artist level had the strength of nine bulls and two tigers combined.

As Ye Qing wasn't able to cultivate the first layer of the Nine Heavens True Secret, his strength was much less than that which martial artists at this level possessed. After his first defeat in the Seventh Shall Pass Sect’s inter-sect competition because of his lack of strength, his legend was obliterated. From that moment on, Ye Qing was synonymous with waste. He was a waste who could not even cultivate the first layer of the Nine Heavens True Secret.

For this reason, one of the elders from the outer court of Seventh Shall Pass Sect specifically came to examine Ye Qing's body constitution.

"Ye Qing, you possess a unique physique. The Qi you have cultivated hasn't formed a cluster of Zhenyuan beads in your Dantian, but rather has dispersed completely into your body and bones. This kind of physique you have is called a one-grade cultivation physique. Practically, it is impossible to cultivate to the Ninth Heaven True Art. " Remembering these words that were told to him by the outer sect elder of the Seven Extinct Sect, a piercing pain would always strike Ye Qing's heart.

Ye Qing had thought of leaving the Seven Extinct Sect, but every time he remembers his parents in the Feng nation of the Nanhua Continent, he would suppress these feelings.

Outer sect disciples of the Seven Extinct Sect would receive a monthly salary of thirty liang silver. Should he leave the sect, what other paths are there for him? In the grand scope of the Tiancang Continent, martial artists were held in high regard. A waste who can’t cultivate martial arts wouldn't even receive three liang silver in a month, let alone thirty liang. They could only barely survive in the lowest rungs of the continent.

"Isn't this the waste, Ye Qing?" As the day was breaking, Ye Qing stepped into the outer sect of the Seven Extinct Sect, only to be spotted by a dark-skinned fellow sect member.

"Luo Junior Brother, as I remember it, it was you who wanted to acknowledge me as your boss back in the day. How did it happen that your boss has turned into a waste now? If I am a waste, wouldn’t that make you a subordinate of a waste?" Ye Qing laughed heartily, throwing the two hundred-pound stone locks from his hand into the Wuyuan arena next to him.

"What did you say!" Luo Han's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of a ferocious smile spreading across his face.

"I said that when you asked to be my subordinate, you were really adorable. Now, however, your appearance turns my stomach." With a cold laugh, Ye Qing stretched lazily and walked toward the Wuyuan arena, ready for the morning practice.

"It seems I haven't directed you for quite some time; I'll provide some pointers today!" Luo Han glanced around, noticing that a few of the outer disciples of the Seven Extinct Sect had arrived. He then strutted over to Ye Qing, speaking loudly.

"You want to give me pointers?" Ye Qing blinked in response. Though he had yet to reach the first layer of the Ninth Heaven True Art, the constant cultivation over seven years had led to an odd transformation in his bones and muscles. Even without the condensation of a Qi sphere within him, his strength was definitely beyond that of a regular martial artist.

"Are you scared? No wonder, Ye Qing, you've been training on your own for these four years, and no one knows how far you've progressed. But today, you seem quite confident. I wonder if you've finally broken through the first layer of the Ninth Heaven True Art. Let's see how far the once genius of the Seven Extinct Sect's outer disciples has come after breaking through the first layer."

Luo Han's words were like a hammer repeatedly smashing Ye Qing's heart. After a soft chuckle, Ye Qing suddenly looked up at Luo Han, his eyes gleaming with disdain.

Ye Qing had been silent for four years, but the title of 'genius' from the past still forced Luo Han to retreat a step back.

However, remembering that he had already cultivated the second layer of the Ninth Heaven True Art, reaching the Accumulation Realm of a Martial Artist, Luo Han's confidence was instantly restored.

If Luo Han had only cultivated to the first layer of the Ninth Heaven True Art, he would not be sure of defeating Ye Qing, because Ye Qing's understanding of martial techniques was far superior.

But now Luo Han had reached the second layer of the Ninth Heaven True Art and stepped into the Accumulation Realm. His inner Zhenyuan bead had grown in size, allowing Luo Han to draw on even more True Qi energy. He no longer feared Ye Qing. In fact, he wanted to step on Ye Qing, reducing the once genius of the Seven Extinct Sect to nothing more than dirt beneath his feet.

In the demonstration arena, an increasing number of disciples from the outer sect of the Seven Abyss School were gathering. Various expressions played across their faces, with a few feeling a sense of regret for Ye Qing.

Ye Qing, who had just been admitted into the outer sect of the Seven Abyss School, was full of talent. He could quickly comprehend all sorts of martial skills from the sect, but now, simply because he was unable to cultivate the first level of the "Nine Skies True Scripture" – the foundation-building part, he seemed desolate.

"Elder Brother Luohan, sparring with a waste doesn't do you any good at all. Perhaps you should call it quits this time around!" A junior sister who once greatly admired Ye Qing couldn't hide her sympathy, even though she had just recently derided Ye Qing as a waste on a whim. But she did so out of disappointment, owing to her high expectations for Ye Qing. Seeing Ye Qing now reduced to a peripheral figure, she couldn't help her anger.

"Junior Sister Qin, the Ye Qing you admire is a waste now. I heard that Sorcerer Ma Ming has now taken your fancy, didn't he? Didn't you insult Ye Qing as a waste after he had a few words with you a day ago?" Luohan burst into a laugh.

"Cut the chatter, are you going to fight me or not?" Ye Qing shrugged, interrupting Luohan’s sentence. Although Qin had insulted Ye Qing, he didn't want her to be more embarrassed than necessary.

"Oh? Becoming protective of the ladies now, are we? I'll teach you a lesson right away!” Luohan spoke lightly, but he dared not to underestimate Ye Qing. His inner energy orb rapidly rotated, allowing his energy to flow through the meridians of his limbs.

Boosted by his energy, Luohan felt a surge of power within him that he could only release by shouting. Roaring loudly, he charged full force towards Ye Qing.

"Raging Dragon Fist, Raging Dragon Sails the Sea!" Accompanied by Luohan’s flurry of fists, he landed nineteen punches on Ye Qing, each with the force of a ton.

"Raging Dragon Fist, Dragon Crosses the River!" The moment Ye Qing saw the fierce attacks from Luohan coming, a smirk took form on his lips. Suddenly dipping down, Ye Qing dodged every single punch with a swift roll.

As someone who was well-versed with the "Raging Dragon Fist", Ye Qing was well aware of all its variations. If it were not for the lack of the inner energy orb realm within Ye Qing, he could have defeated Luohan with just one move.

But now, Ye Qing could only use the single move "Dragon Crosses the River" to evade Luohan's attacks. Ye Qing was well aware of his situation. Despite being physically strong, his strength derived entirely from his body. If he were to directly contend with someone whose physical strength was enhanced by their energy, he was certain to be at a disadvantage.

Upon seeing his move "Raging Dragon Sails the Sea" missed, Luohan followed up with a series of kicks; obviously wary of a counter-attack from Ye Qing. Nevertheless, what surprised Luohan was the fact that Ye Qing had no intention of fighting back. After dodging Luohan's attack using "Dragon Crosses the River", he retreated a few steps, waiting for Luohan to move again.

“Wave Rushes Eastward!” Luohan smirked coldly when he saw Ye Qing didn't react, fully aware that the reason lay in Ye Qing's lack of energy. If Ye Qing was to clash directly with him, his own energy would badly wound Ye Qing. That was the significant difference between a martial artist with energy and one without.